'CBS Mornings' executive producer announces exit with candid memo to colleagues
"CBS Mornings" executive producer Shawna Thomas on Thursday announced she would leave the show at the end of the month, saying she’s "tired" in the latest blow to the news division.
Thomas’ exit comes on the heels of other producers and "60 Minutes" correspondent Anderson Cooper bolting amid editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’ takeover of CBS News. While Thomas, Cooper and others have split, "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King announced on Wednesday that she signed a contract extension to stick around, although she will have a new executive producer when the calendar flips to April.
"Today is not my last day at CBS Mornings, but it begins a countdown to my alarm going off a little bit later. First, I’m so happy Gayle King came to a deal and will continue to bring her bright shiny face and amazing interviewing skills to CBS Mornings and CBS News. I bow down to her and her talent every day and thank her for her kindness and work ethic," Thomas wrote to colleagues in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital.
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"For five years, I’ve tried to make this show something she and everybody on this team want to be a part of. Want to watch. Want to learn from," Thomas continued. "And in return, this team has made me more thoughtful, empathetic and expanded my personal definition of storytelling. I’ve had the privilege of helping to make 10 (now 12!) hours of television each week that goes out free to people everywhere. I’ve taken that responsibility of trying to inform, educate, entertain and make people care about the world around them very seriously, and I know the people here do, too."
Thomas said she wanted to inform colleagues that she had made a decision she had been thinking about for some time.
"I’m tired y’all. I will be thanking everyone I possibly can with my voice and my face — especially Jon Tower and Peter Burgess, who I will be transitioning things over to — in the coming weeks," Thomas wrote.
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Thomas previously spent a decade at NBC News, and also had stints at Vice and Quibi before joining CBS News in 2021, according to her LinkedIn page.
CBS News President Tom Cibrowski confirmed Thomas would be "stepping away from the broadcast at the end of this month" and Jon Tower would oversee "CBS Mornings" on an interim basis.
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"CBS Mornings," which regularly draws a significantly smaller audience than ABC’s "Good Morning America" and NBC’s "Today," is expected to continue tinkering with its content in an effort to increase ratings. Variety reported that the show would take on a "softer stance."
Last week, veteran CBS News producer Mary Walsh exited the network in dramatic fashion, suggesting the organization has been told to aim reporting at a particular political party. "CBS Evening News" producer Alicia Hastey quit last month and suggested there "has been a sweeping new vision prioritizing a break from traditional broadcast norms to embrace what has been described as ‘heterodox’ journalism."
CBS News has also faced layoffs in recent months as parent company Paramount aimed to reduce headcount after Paramount Global and Skydance merged last year.